John Heywood-
Waddington
John Heywood-Waddington is an artist living in Deptford, London. Working from his studio at Thames Side Studios, near Woolwich, John creates paintings, collages, charcoals, and experiments with mixed media and digital art, regularly undertaking commissions. He has exhibited his work in several group shows, most recently, at the beginning of this year, ‘Alternative’, at the Menier Gallery in London Bridge.
Originally from Essex, John moved to London in 1999, after graduating from Royal Holloway College, London University with a degree in Media Arts. His early ambition was to be a film-maker, and to this end he wrote and directed short films, as well as taking on a number of jobs within the industry.
His enthusiasm for cinema continues to strongly inform his artistic practice.
As a painter, his work is broadly figurative. Expressionistic, vigorous brushwork and mark-marking often veer into the language of abstraction. There is an emphasis on the landscape, and the sea is a recurring motif. These serve as backdrops for human interactions.
There is a performative aspect to the way in which he makes paintings, and John often works fast and expressionistically, in the moment, trying to capture lightning in a bottle. It’s as much about the transformative act of making, as the outcome.
A love of poetry is also an influence and inspiration in John’s work. He wants to make his paintings operate like visual poems, for the viewer to experience them emotionally, rather than necessarily try to understand them literally.
They are about movement, and the materiality of paint, as much as the subject. There is a sense of urgency, of the paint being driven around the canvas, as he seeks to give expression to the emotional, psychological state of the scene, as if the viewers could be onlookers at a critical moment. “The physical application of brushstrokes tell their own story.”
His imagery is often derived from photo references, as well as being strongly influenced by his love of cinema. Some of the compositions could have been taken from a film camera, or newsreel footage.